Circle of Danger (8 page)

The guard dropped his weapon and cried out, grabbing his side. Overhead, gunfire and shouting from Ryker's men echoed downstairs as running footsteps punctuated each burst. The occasional thump and scream warned that people were being hit.

Shit, he'd better check on Marie. Several holes in the sheetrock and broken monitors warned that bullets may have pierced the wall. The possibility of one hitting her had him heading toward the bedroom when a crash stopped him. A quick pump and he pointed the shotgun at the door leading outside. It hung lopsided on its hinges.

Liam crouched inside with two guns at ready, looking around for Billy's men.

“The asshole slipped out the door behind the bar with some of his men. Go after him. I'll get Marie.” Ryker reached the bedroom door and glanced back. Liam hadn't moved. “What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation? Get your ass moving!”

“Yes, sir!” Liam jumped over the bar and paused, looked for immediate danger before running into the darkness.

Ryker turned the knob and pushed open the door. The room was dark. A flash of light warned him. He twisted and fell to the floor, grabbing Marie by the ankles, tripping her. She landed on top. Marie dropped the piece of broken mirror on the way down.

“It's me!”

“The guns shots, the screaming and running—I was scared.” She wrapped her arms around him.

He hugged her to his chest. “Shh. It's okay now.”

She punched his arm. “Don't you ever tie me up and leave me like that. I don't care how loose you make the knots. That plan stunk!”

“Ouch! Okay. Let's go see if they found the women.” Relief lightened the tight feeling in his chest. Her body trembled. She felt a little warm. “Are you sure you're not hurt?”

“I'm fine.”

She didn't sound fine. He helped her to her feet. She pulled away and walked into the other room, hugging herself.

She gasped. He took her by the shoulders, blocking her view of the bodies, and pushed her toward the other door behind the bar. “I have a feeling this will lead into the rest of the house.”

It opened into a foyer. A Circle operative, guarding the front door, lifted his chin toward the next floor. Ryker, with Marie one step behind, carefully moved up the stairs.

“Hey, boss. We got them.” Another one of his men stood at the opposite end of a long hallway.

In the room, Ice sat on a bed, holding a woman in his arms, rocking back and forth. She was beautiful with long black hair and exotic eyes. Another woman stood nearby, talking and making wild hand gestures to a Circle operative.

“Just let me go. I have people looking for me, and you don't want to cross them.” Her blondish brown hair fell around her shoulders. The little turned-up nose and sprinkle of freckles gave her a girl-next-door look.

“Take her to Sector,” Ryker told the young operative.

“Who are you? Are you the boss of these apes?” The woman with the turned-up nose frowned.

Marie clearly didn't care for the woman's attitude. “These apes saved your butt. You need to be thankful.”

The woman's eyes widened. “Okay, okay. But I need to get home.” She obviously hadn't expected another woman to remind her of her manners.

“What did I tell you?” Ryker glared at the man and jerked a thumb at the doorway.

The operative grabbed for the woman, but she twisted and brought her knee up. He squealed and fell to the ground in a fetal position.

Ryker hollered at Marie, telling her to move away as she knelt by the operative's side. The operative screamed obscenities at his attacker.

The woman backed away from Ryker. “Don't touch me! You have no right. I've had enough of all of this bullshit and no one's going to force me to do what I don't want to.”

Marie scrambled out of the way. At the same time, Ice kissed the woman in his arms on the forehead and let her go. Before anyone could react, he gave the woman with blondish hair a chop near her neck. She fell like a piano from a ten-story building.

“She won't give you any trouble now,” Ice said to Ryker.

Gingerly, the young operative regained his footing and not too gently tossed the woman over his shoulder and limped out of the room. Ice placed an arm around the other woman and walked out.

Ryker grabbed Marie's wrist and started down the hallway. A few of his men came out of the rooms they passed, their search for the Wizard unsuccessful. Everywhere they looked Circle men were tearing the massive cabin apart, looking for information on the Wizard's whereabouts. They understood the importance of finding the man and the antidote.

Suddenly the lights went out. More shots reverberated through the hallway as flashes pinpointed the locations of the shooters.

Ryker pulled Marie off to the side and pushed their way into a small bend near rooms already searched. His body pressed into hers, covering her from any stray bullets.

“Stay here until I tell you the way is clear.” Ryker shifted and looked back to where the shots had been fired. Marie groaned.

Ryker turned back to her. “You're hit. Damn it! I knew you should've stayed back at Sector. Tell me where it is.” His hands slid over her body, searching for dampness from a wound.

W
ell aware of how crazy she sounded, Marie didn't care. “If you don't get me off now, I'll scream, and we'll see how many you can fight at one time.” Logic told her this wasn't the time or place, but if he didn't do something quick her body would explode into a million pieces and not in the good way.

“No blood.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“The drug?” His hands stopped their movements.

“What do you think?” She hated being short-tempered but patience and the drug's flashback didn't mix well.

He stared at her. She had no idea if he really saw her in the dark, but she imagined that amber eye flaring with as much need as she had for him.

His mouth covered hers, and his hand jammed into her jeans under her barely-there panties. She caught her breath, and his tongue dipped further as his fingers rubbed the hard bundle lubed with moistness.

Someone yelled in the distance. He tilted his head back. Marie pressed her body hard against fingers. “I waited too long. This won't be enough. I need more.”

“Christ, Marie.” His lips brushed her ear as his hand hesitated for a second as if he couldn't decide what to do next. Then he moved his hand away. “This is fucking crazy,” he whispered.

“Shut up your complaining and get to work.” Her heart pounded so hard she was afraid it would burst. The sound of a zipper going down broke the silence. It was hers.

“Sorry, darling, but this will have to do.” He lifted her and pressed her to the wall.

Before she could ask what he was doing, he jerked up her blouse and popped out a breast from her bra. His mouth pulled at the nipple as his fingers returned to the moistness between her legs. In the same rhythm, he sucked and thrust hard. She groaned and he covered her mouth with his free hand. When she bit his thumb, he moved his hand to her other nipple and pinched. She hooked a leg around his hip and met his thrusts.

To stop herself from screaming she stuffed her fist into her mouth. The delicious waves washed over her and grew limp but he continued to suckle and fuck her with his fingers. Another wave hit her and tears streamed down her face as she moaned against her fist. The need and Ryker finally stopped.

Her heart pounded so hard. The world spun, fading in and out. She leaned back against the wall and moved her bloody hand, taking in gulps of air.

In careful movements, he pulled up her pants and zipped them closed. He cupped her breast, lifting it with care to place back into her bra. She gasped when his thumb grazed the sore tip. He paused a second before straightening her blouse.

“Let's go,” he whispered as he smoothed the tears from her face. Then he released her.

Her hip slid against his swollen groin. He hissed. She stroked her hand over the hard ridge.

“Let me help you,” she offered.

“No.” He grabbed her fingers and pulled her behind him as he headed downstairs and out the door.

She shook her head. The man wasn't human.

 

C
HAPTER
E
IGHT

M
arie glanced over to Ryker as he maneuvered the Mustang around the numerous black Circle Humvees and vans parked every which way in front of the large cabin and along the drive. Several of the operatives would stay to analyze what they found in the hope it would pinpoint the Wizard's hideout.

Ryker looked angry. Most people thought he looked that way all the time. She knew differently.

“Why can't you come when you're with me?” She could sit around and feel sorry for herself or bring out in the open the problem of him not having an orgasm with her. Choosing the latter made sense.

“You're not making sense. We're together right now.”

He understood what she was saying. Did he really think he could avoid talking about it?

“Do you feel sorry for me—is that it? I've heard men can get it hard for any woman. But I've never heard if they can come without being truly turned on.”

“Jesus H. Christ, Marie. The shit women come up with amazes me.”

“We come up with that crap because, one, we're not men. Two, men won't actually talk with women about their feelings!”

“Can we talk about this after we get back to Sector?” He looked into the rearview mirror for the tenth time.

Marie turned as far as the seatbelt would let her. Bright headlights were narrowing the space between them fast. Then she checked the clock on the dash; it was two in the morning. The rate of speed and no blue lights on top warned of trouble.

“Is it a local unmarked car?” Last thing they needed was to have the police pull them over. Ryker never inspired confidence in the locals. He looked too deadly.

“Nope.”

“A drunk?” One of the dangers of being on the road so early in the morning was a person often met drunks going home after bars closed or parties ended. Her fingers gripped the door armrest.

“Nope.”

The car whipped around and eased up beside them on the narrow, curvy two- lane road.

“Who would—” She snapped her mouth shut as the window lowered on the passenger side of the black Charger. The nerd grinned and then lifted his middle finger.

She screamed when the other car's tires cut in front of them. Ryker's quick reflexes saved them from being pushed off the road into the dark crevasse. Metal grinding against metal and tires screeching were all she heard for the next lifetime.

The Charger shot past them. The bar of red taillights became smaller by the minute.

Scared and panting like she'd kept the Mustang on the road by will alone, she looked at Ryker, her mouth opened to speak, but she snapped it shut. From the way his jaw popped from grinding his teeth so hard, she doubted he would listen to her.

Her body tingled. Crap! The drug was kicking in again. Her fingers dug into the leather upholstery.

“Uh, Ryker?”

He shifted the gears and stomped the gas. The force pushed her shoulders into the seat. She closed her eyes. Her breasts ached and ripples radiated from her groin. Thoughts of Ryker kissing and sucking on her nipples took her breath away. She groaned. Her eyes popped opened. Closing them wasn't a good idea after all.

From the corner of her eye, she caught Ryker checking on her as he jerked the steering wheel, bringing the car back from the edge of the road.

“Don't tell me it's happening again.” His raspy voice caressed her senses. Heat rose across her neck and her face. She'd kill the Wizard at the first opportunity if she didn't die from embarrassment before this was over.

“You act as if I have a choice in the matter.”

“I'm a little busy right now. You'll have to take care of it yourself.”

“Fine! But we know it obviously won't last.” She unzipped her jeans and stuck her hand between her legs.

R
yker jerked on the steering wheel again. Shit! Fuck! Seeing her working at getting herself off was about to send him to an early grave. With each little whimper and moan he struggled to keep his gaze on the road. He released the gearshift long enough to adjust his cock. He hurt so bad he wanted to groan along with her. Hell. He was in hell. When had his life turned into a porn version of a James Bond movie?

His cell phone rang. He pressed a button on the steering wheel.

“Yeah!” Happy that someone interrupted his torment, he almost shouted hallelujah.

“Where are you?” Jack asked.

“Chasing down that son of a bitch who drugged Marie.”

“I got you on the GPS. We'll see what we can do to intercept.”

At that moment, the Charger braked and turned onto a small one-lane road.

“He's turned onto a road so narrow we could hit another car head-on.” Ryker swerved to miss a low-hanging branch, and his driver-side tires shot gravel into the trees. “He knows these roads too well. Too many places he can stop and ambush us. The road we're on, does it show up on the map?”

“Yeah.”

“Does it come out onto another main road?”

“It branches off in about ten miles. One way to a dead end. The other leads into Pigeon Forge.”

“I'll find a spot to pull over until you can send some help. Block the exit into Pigeon Forge.”

“They should be there in less than fifteen minutes. We'll have the road block up in ten. Is Marie okay?”

Ryker looked over at her. The scene was out of every teenage boy's dream—for that matter, every red-blooded man's. She had her jeans to her knees, and blouse and bra up to her neck. One hand rubbed and thrust at her pussy while the other tugged at a turgid nipple.

“Damn.” He released a shaky breath.

“What?” The worry in Jack's voice added fuel to Ryker's jealousy.

“Don't worry about Marie. I'll take care of her real good.”

He pressed the off button and started looking for a flat area he could park on the one-lane road. Off in the distance, the red taillights of the Charger disappeared around a corner. After a mile, a place opened up; gravel lit up white by his headlights covered a small area on the side. Ryker pulled the Mustang over to the edge of the road and shut the engine and lights off. He hit the switch that controlled the interior lights, making sure they wouldn't turn on if a door opened and give their location away too soon.

He opened the door and moved around to Marie's side. She looked up, her eyes drooping from the hungry need to climax. In a barely restrained move, he pulled her out of the car, leaving behind her jeans. He sat her on the warm engine hood and spread her legs. Then his mouth covered her. Licking and sucking, filling his need to taste her. Nothing was sweeter. Her legs wrapped around his neck and her hips lifted each time his tongue swiped at the hard nub.

When he plunged two fingers into her moistness, she fell backward and arched into his touch. He nipped at her and set a rhythm, thrusting harder, wishing he could fill her with the hardness pressing against his zipper. A quiver he felt deep inside of her warned she was about to come.

He kissed her thigh and took a couple deep breaths. “Cover your mouth, love.”

She pressed her arm against her lips.

He nuzzled her softness and dove in again. His mouth sucked the nub hard. The scream muffled by her arm came out as a groan into the darkness. Once the contractions slowed, he rested his head against her thigh and removed his fingers. Unable to resist, he licked his fingers.

“That is the sexiest thing I've ever seen.” On her elbows, she lounged on the hood with her eyes glittering in the moonlight.

“When I get you back to Sector, we'll see what we can do about this.” He patted her swollen nether lips as if it was a good pet. Inhaling her scent had him wanting more, but any movement caused his cock to ache and he needed a second to recoup.

“As in, take me to bed and do it right?”

His head rocked back and forth on her thigh. It felt right being this near her. Touching her without thought of what would happen to them next.

“No. As in seeing Doc and making you stop needing me like this,” he said above a whisper.

Her gasp said he better move away before she took revenge on what was still hard beneath his jeans.

“Wait a minute and I'll get your pants and shoes.” He'd just noticed her bare feet.

A few careful steps brought him to the car door and her clothes. One shoe was in the car and the other outside on the ground. As he started to help her pull up the jeans, she pushed him away with her foot.

“I can do it myself. I don't need your help. At this moment, I rather you didn't touch me.”

He stood by helpless as she got dressed. Her hands shook so bad, he finally gave in and jerked her sneakers from her hands and slipped them on cold feet and tied the laces. Her lips stretched tight as she remained quiet for a few seconds more.

She sniffed and rubbed her arms. “I'm sorry that I'm such a pain to deal with.”

“Don't say—”

At that moment, they heard a car's engine rev as it came around a far corner and down the straightway. Liam pulled up beside them. “Everything okay?”

Relieved he could skip explaining how he really felt, Ryker leaned into the window.

“Yeah.” He pointed down the narrow road. “I have a feeling he's setting a trap. He probably hopes I'd follow him on down the way. If he doesn't come this way or out at the road block, you better wait until daylight and let the helicopter go in and see.”

“Sounds good.”

“I'm taking Marie back to Sector. Call me as soon as you find out something. I want that asshole.” He slapped the top of the car as Liam took off a little further down the road.

Marie sat in the car with her head back and eyes closed when he slipped behind the steering wheel. During the ride back, she didn't say a word. He then understood the meaning of cutting tension with a knife. It was so thick that he had to crack the window to breathe.

He pulled into the underground garage and parked near the elevator. Without wasting time, she jumped out of the car and slammed the door, rocking the car. He opened his mouth to say something and decided she had a right to be angry. She hadn't asked to be drugged, and she didn't really want him pawing her. The drug made her want him, no matter what she'd said.

Maybe after a good night's rest she'd feel better. Only he doubted it would help him.

“H
e's the most infuriating man I've ever met. Did I tell you that he hasn't once climaxed? Oh, he gets all hard and such, but I don't get his rocks off. I don't have what it takes.” She kicked at a pillow that had the misfortune to be on the floor. “Obviously, he thinks I'm a big bother—”

“Mercy, woman! That's a little more information than Ryker would want me to know.” Jack poured a cup of coffee and sat at the small table in the corner of her suite.

Marie stopped in front of the small buffet that had been set up on her return. She pushed back her wet hair. The shower had helped her feel human again. Considering she'd been up for twenty-four hours, she probably needed a little nourishment, though rest would do her more good at this point.

Jack was probably right. He looked so out of place with the feminine furniture, holding a delicate cup in his large hand. Desert camos and boots didn't go well with china and Queen Anne.

“Sorry. My nerves are about shot and I'm so woozy from lack of sleep that I don't know what I'm saying.” Her face reddened as she thought of what had come out of her mouth. She settled in the chair opposite him.

Jack knew almost everything about her as they'd been friends for years.

Before Master had died, Jack had lived the summers at the former Main Sector in Atlanta, but the other seasons at the Northern Sector. She'd been lonesome as Ryker had been exiled to the Northern Sector by Master. At first, her friendship with Jack started out with her asking about Ryker and how he was faring. Jack kindly filled in her spare time with stories of a courageous Ryker training and fighting bad guys. On rare occasions over the years, she'd gotten to see Ryker, but Master always found an excuse to send him away until he was ordered back to confront his brother. The meeting hadn't gone exactly like Master had expected. Ryker killed him instead. Though violence sickened her, she'd wished many times she'd been there. Maybe seeing the ringleader of her nightmares dead would help her see the future a little clearer.

“Go. Get some rest before Doc shows up in the morning.” Jack sat his cup down and stood. “I'll see you when you're ready to practice again. We can go over some new moves.”

She frowned. Ryker had insisted the doctor examine her. If not for something about Ice and the woman he'd brought to Sector, Ryker would've marched her to Doc's suite in the mansion and woken him at the crack of dawn.

“Any moves she practices will be with me.” Ryker strode across the room and leaned over and kissed her cheek.

She blinked up at him. How much of their conversation had he heard? Why was he being on his best behavior? And the biggie: did he actually kiss her cheek like a husband arriving home from work?

Jack lifted one pierced eyebrow and walked out.

“Why are you so rude to him all the time?”

“You need some rest. Go brush your teeth and get in bed.”

Her spine straightened. “Go away. I don't feel like dealing with you right now.”
Go and boss someone else.

He crossed his arms and stared.

“Okay. Whatever.” She threw up a hand and rolled her eyes as she stepped into the bathroom. Admitting to herself how much she enjoyed him being there, bossy or not, brought a smile to her lips.

Despite that, she took her time brushing her teeth, drying her hair, and doing everything else she could think of to delay returning to the other room. When she opened the door, Ryker was under the covers, on his side with his eye closed and black patch in place.

“You're not asleep. So don't even pretend.” She fought back her grin.